It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's...the Scourge of 'Superman'

Have you heard of the 'Superman' curse? We're not entirely convinced one actually exists, although the number of lawsuits, accidents, deaths and faltering careers would suggest otherwise...

 

Episode Sources:

“Up, Up and Awa-a-y! The Rise of Superman, Inc.” by John Kobler, Saturday Evening Post, June 21, 1941

“Exhibit honors Superman's Cleveland roots: Leon Bibb Then and Now” by Leon Bibb and Susan Moses, WKYC, June 26, 2025

“Origin Story: The Creation of Superman” by Cassandra Burris, Ohio History Connection, Dec 01, 2017

“Creation of a Superhero” by Jerry Siegel, (unpublished) c. 1978

“Superman’s Copyright Saga” by Yuanxiao Xu, Authors Alliance, Apr 08, 2025

“Dean Cain Worries James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ Is Just Too “Woke”” by James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, July 10, 2025

“Joanne Siegel, the Model for Lois Lane, Dies at 93” by Bruce Weber, The New York Times, Feb 15, 2011

“The Selling of Superman: Correspondence between Jack Liebowitz and Jerry Siegel” by Tom Brevoort, The Tom Brevoort Experience, June 03, 2023

Kirk Alyn obituary, by Ronald Bergan, The Guardian, Mar 23, 1999

“Superman George Reeves Died of a Single Gunshot Wound in 1959. Inside the Confusing Case — and the Controversial Theories Surrounding It” by Caroline Blair, People, June 17, 2025

Unsolved Mysteries: George Reeves

“From the Archives: George Reeves, Superman of TV, Kills Himself in His Home” Los Angeles Times, June 17, 1959

“A Life With a Before and an After; For Christopher Reeve, It Isn't as Simple as Superman or Victim” by Dinitia Smith, The New York Times, Apr 30, 1998

“A Timeline of the Nxivm Sex Cult Case” by Carla Correa, The New York Times, July 05, 2023

“After 'the most public freak-out in history,' Margot Kidder became one of Hollywood's most prominent mental health advocates” by Suzy Byrne, Yahoo, may 14, 2018

“Brandon Routh reveals career setbacks led to a crippling video game addiction” by Eric Francisco, Inverse, Mar 09, 2020

 

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